By Erik Harris, sports editor
MONTGOMERY — The fourth-ranked Springville softball team opened up its Class 6A East Central Regional run on Wednesday afternoon with an extra innings win over Gardendale, as freshman Bella Bullington knocked the walk-off home run to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The freshman’s timely shot sent her Tigers into the winner’s bracket with a 2-1 victory over the Rockets.
Her only hit finished Springville’s first game in Lagoon Park with six total hits, matching Gardendale’s output.
For the Tigers, Makalyn Kyser led the way with two hits, including a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth that tied the game up at 1-1 and ultimately sent the game into extra innings. Both teams went scoreless through the eighth before Bullington lined the game-winner to right.
It was the Area 12 runner-up Rockets that drew first blood when A Valentine singed one in in the top of the second inning. That one-run cushion held until Kyser’s base knock in the sixth.
In the meantime, Springville’s pitching duo of Bullington and Reagan Cornelius the Gardendale bats in check. Bullington earned the start and went 4 ⅓ innings before handing it over to Cornelius for the remaining 4 ⅔ innings. Bullington struck out four batters and allowed one run off four Gardendale hits. Cornelius matched the freshman with four strikeouts of her own in four-plus shutout frames.
Later on in the winner’s bracket, Springville stormed by Shades Valley 12-0 in five innings.
Makalyn Kyser homered with two hits and three RBIs, Tatum Bartlett doubled with three hits and as many RBIs, and the Tigers capped off a 2-0 day in Montgomery with their eighth straight victory.
Springville will take on Mortimer Jordan on Thursday afternoon in the No. 1 qualifier game. With a win over the Blue Devils, the Tigers would secure a spot in the 2021 state tournament in Oxford.
A late Springville surge wiped out the Mounties on Wednesday night, as the Tigers pushed 10 runs across during the final three frames. Seven different girls knocked in runs for Springville, including one RBI apiece from Bekah Hargrove, Addie Bowling, Emmy Leopard, Mckenzie Brown and Bullington.